Improvement in horse hay-forks



C. YENGST.

Imp'rovement'in HorseKHvay Forks.

Patented June13,18717.

lan. C .1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS YENGST, OF ANNVIIJLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN `HQFISE HAY-FORKS.

Spccicntion forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,000, dated June 13, 1871.

I, CYEUs YENGsr, of Annville, Lebanon county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Hay-Fork for unloading hay by horse-power, of which the following is a specification:

My invent-ion relates to the construction of the handle of the fork, and the arrangement of the brace-rod as connected with the handle and the spring bolt or catch; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing forming part of this specification, similar letters referring to similar parts. g

Figure lis a sectional view of my-improved forkv in position for raising or lowering. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fork in position for unloading or'discharging the hay. Fig. '3 is a detached view of the improved parts.

The nature of my invention consists in using an ordinary fork, as at B B T T T T, but with a crooked or curved handle made of wood, or wholly or in part of iron or other metal, as E G D, with a slot or opening, a af, in which Y slides the brace-rod b b, which is suspended from the bolt or rivet d running through the lifting-rods L L. In the straight part of the handle, as at D, another slot, t' t', is out large enough to admit of a sliding bolt or catch, c c, with a spiral spring, s, around it, that forces the catch outward toward e. At h a cord is attached to the end of the catch to draw it inward when itis desired to unload the fork. The brace-rod b is kept in place with the connecting-rod r, which is hinged to the forkhead B at f, and to the brace-rod b at g.

When the fork is unloaded the handle, by its own gravity, falls down, and the end of the bracerod b drops above the end of the sliding bolt c, as at e, and thus secures the fork in position for raising or lowering Without danger of getting itself' fast on the beams of the barn. Y

I claim as my invention- The connecting-*rod r, as attached to the 

